UPDATE (Oct 12): iPhone app is temporarily unavailable while it's being updated by John Ray for iOS7. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

UPDATE (June 14): Both iPhone and iPad apps are now available in the Apple store. Search for them with term "ForBidding".

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John Ray has completed the first iOS App for Gixen. At this point it is for iPad only, but John tells me the iPhone version is coming too.

I installed the beta version on my iPad mini, and I was very impressed. The interface is very original, very different than what I expected to see, and much better than I hoped. You can actually see the ebay listing when adding a snipe.

The app is made completely on top of Gixen API, so in order to use it you have to be a mirror subscriber.

John is now looking for beta testers, and he will follow up with more information after this post. If able to, please help John make his app even better.

Last edited by mario on Sat Oct 12, 2013 5:04 am; edited 6 times in total

I'm looking for iPad users to test my iOS client, focusing initially on iPad users, then expanding to the iPhone in a few weeks. The client should be fully functional on the iPad - meaning that you can actually use it *for real* with Gixen right now. There are, of course, several caveats that you should be aware of before signing up:

1. I really would like feedback. If you have time to install builds once or twice a week and run through a basic set of actions, you're a good candidate to test!

2. I'd like targeted feedback. There are a list of things that I know need attention, but they're "small stuff" programmatically. Testing needs to focus on what you'd be doing on a day-to-day basis, not trying to create bizarre scenarios to crash the app. If you're doing something normal (setting a snipe) and it crashes - yeah, I need to know.

3. The beta is running through Testflight. You'll need to register with testflightapp.com, and in a day or two you'll get an email telling you that you can install the app, along with instructions. I can't debug testflight, so you're on your own until you get it installed.

4. No eBay credentials are stored outside of the app, or sent to me in any way.

5. The app IS (behind the scenes) logging a ton of information to Testflight (including crashes). Even if you don't have time to provide me with feedback directly, just running the app helps!

Things I know need handled, and will be (if any of these make you uncomfortable, please don't sign up just yet.):

1. Error checking for network conditions, etc. isn't turned on. If a snipe or something Gixen-y fails, it will be retried, but more low-level failures aren't currently presented to the user.

2. There are some pesky crashing bugs that occur when you'd least expect it. Mostly related to smoothly merging items into the snipe or watch lists. If it crashes, I need to know what was on the screen and what you did to make it happen (if anything).

3. iOS 6+ only. I may extend that back a bit at launch, but right now, I only need iOS 6 users.

4. Placeholder graphics, textures, and icons are likely items that appeared on a Google search. They will be replaced at launch with original artwork, or chosen from a properly licensed source.

Finally - two features that you probably won't notice until you found them accidentally. One of them is the coolest part of the app, in my opinion:

1. If you copy text to your clipboard that looks like it contains an auction ID, then hit the "+" button, you'll be asked if you want to view the item (and subsequently set a snipe). If your clipboard is empty, you'll just be prompted to enter an auction ID.

2. You can use the built-in browser to browse to new auctions and immediately set snipes. Auction IDs should be recognized and the browsed item should appear in the little "dashboard" where you can set a snipe.

That's all, no more numbered lists If you're still interested after reading all that, click this testflight link to get started! Thank you!

Good morning, I just found the Gixen website and paid for the mirror option so I could download the ForBidding companion app to my iPad mini. I get the spashscreen when launching the app and after 5-10 seconds it 'crashes'. I'm on an iPad mini iOS 6.1.3. Has anyone reported something similar or is there something I can try on my end?

Sorry for the confusion. After testing ForBidding on the iOS 7 release, there were some obvious problems that made it unusable on the iPad. I didn't want to keep an application posted that wouldn't work (there are already 1-2 negative reviews from people trying to use the app under situations where the outcome is unpredictable).

Anyway, I am upgrading it for iOS 7. The iOS 7 release will support non-US eBay sites, have a new "iOS 7-esque" appearance, and fix a few bugs along the way. I really like how its looking, and I hope I can get it out to everyone in the near future.

When it goes live again, I'll be posting it for free as a "Thank you" for your patience.

Just downloaded your iOS7 version of the app. Not sure what is going on. Asks for login. My eBay login does not work with the app (ForBidding) but does work with the website. Is there any difference between the app and web versions?
If two bidders bid with the same characteristics, the only difference being one uses gixen and the other gixen mirror, will the mirror version always win?

There are differences between the way that your credentials get to Gixen via this App and the Gixen website so it is possible, on some occasions, for you to be able to log in via the website but not via an external application like this. I think this is most likely if you use characters like the question mark (?) in your credentials. This type of problem is best sorted out via email since as this is an open forum you can not safely discuss details of you credentials here.

Mario's email contact details are on the 'Contact' tab above, when you send a message please include your Ebay id, but not your password because email is not secure enough for passwords either.

Regarding the use of the Mirror or Main... when you have a subscription both of these servers work independently for you on all non grouped snipes, from different locations within the US.

The aim is that you should never have just the Mirror trying to bid for you, that only occurs when there is a problem with the Main server, which is never deliberate but does inevitably happen occasionally.

If the offsets for the Main and Mirror are always the same (this is the only aspect that you are able to vary between the servers in any case) then it is random which server will most likely win... if however you have a larger offset for one of the servers then, because that bid is scheduled to be placed first, then it is more likely that the bid from that server will win._________________Mark

I too cannot see the app in the uk App Store, I press the link to it and all I get is a white square. Is this app going to be available in the uk as I use my ipad and iPhone a lot for eBay and an app would be a great help.

So I rebuilt my iPhone the other day and noticed that it is not in the app store anymore either. Thought I was loosing my mind and then saw this thread. I have it still installed on my ipad. I think there is a way to extract the application files. I'll play around with it and see if there is a way for me to do that and then post it for others.....It would be good to know what happened though. I really liked the tool.

I was able to use the application a few years back on my iPhone and iPad. Loved it. It was under my folder of most used utilities. The interface was easy and intuitive and I was totally sold on the application. Immediately subscribed to mirror service. I’m disappointed to see that there really hasn’t been any follow-on work done to move development forward. When the integration with eBay occurred my app stopped working and unfortunately no longer functions. I honestly would pay a premium for the app integration with my phone assuming it came with integrated mirror service etc. Mario anything that you can comment on here or, like others have postulated, the iOS integration is not something we should ever expect…..?

I'll add my voice to requests for iPad / iPhone app, though I'm sure it's not Mario's priority at the moment...what, with replying to all the whingers moaning about having to wait 20 SECONDS when logging on coz they're too tight to have one less BigMac meal a year and buy a subscription instead.